Metal particle coated press plate



March 31, 1953 V. A. RAY

METAL PARTICLE COATED PRESS PLATE Filed Feb. 18, 1950 ?atenteol Vanney A. Ray.

ration of Illinois Huntington Park, Calif., assignor to Rayplate Corporation, Chicago, Ill.,

Application February 18, 1950, Serial No. 144,913

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an attachment for a garment steaming and pressing machine and has special reference to a press plate adapted to be attached to the head of the machine for eliminating the garment shine in the pressing operation.

Garment pressing machines ordinarily comprised a cloth-padded table or ironing board member called a "buck and a conforming clamping member called a head, which head is swung down upon the garment spread upon the buck while steam is released from the head to perform the pressing operation. such pressing operation tends to smooth the fabric in such a manner that the fibers thereof will be fiat and this in turn tends to give the fabric a glossy appearance. This glossy or shiny appearance of the fabric is, of course, undesirable and various means have been suggested from time to time to eliminate the same. In United States Letters Patent No. 1,810,984 granted June 23, 1931 to Vanney A. Ray, a perforated plate was disclosed with burrs around the perforations adapted to contact the garment so that the roughened surface provided thereby acted as a means to eliminate garment shine. It was found, however, that this plate left an impression on the nap of the garment which was also objectionable. Moreover, this plate had a relatively short life because the burrs would wear and leave the press plate with a smooth surface.

An object of the present invention is to provide a press plate for the head of a garment pressing machine which not only eliminates shine on the garment but also overcomes the objectionable impression that press plates of the prior art would leave upon the garment in the pressing operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a press plate of the aforesaid type of relatively thin metallic stock, and, after treating one or both surfaces as by etching, sand blasting, etc., to deposit a thin coating of metal globes upon such treated surface or surfaces and to produce thereby a roughened or broken surface having the appearance, say, of emery cloth ranging from No. 48 to No. 80 stock as known in the trade. The press plate is, of course, perforated and may or may not have burrs around the perforations on the working surface or on the opposite side.

The press plate embodying the invention is indeed simple and inexpensive to make and performs its purpose very efiiciently over a long period of time.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detail description and drawing which forms a part thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a garment steaming and pressing machine showing the press plate embodying the features of the invention secured thereto;

Fig. 2 is a view of the outer face of a perforated press plate after it is formed out of sheet metal, the perforating being done before or after the forming step;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but after the step of treating the outer. face to roughen the same;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section of the press plate embodying the invention;

Fig. 5 is a greatly enlarged cross section of the press plate, an attempt being made to illustrate the formation of the heterogeneous coating of metallic globules comprising the working surface of the press plate, the illustration only approximating the actual formation; and

Fig. 6 is a microphotographic view of a magnification of fifty times of a limited area of the working surface of the press plate to show the arrangement of the metallic granules deposited thereon.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the pressing machine comp-rises essentially a support It] upon which is mounted a cloth-padded table or ironing board, member I l which will hereinafter be termed a buck. The buck l I is adapted to have articles of wearing apparel placed thereon to be engaged by a pressure or clamping member l2, which will hereinafter be termed a head. The head I2 is mounted on spaced arms I3 hingedly mounted as at l3 on a suitable support I3 so that it may be swung downwardly into engagement with the garments placed on the buck i I. Steam is released from within head l2 by manual manipulation of a handle l2 or the like, connected to a suitable valve when the head is brought down into clamping or pressing engagement with the buck, the steam being released through spaced apertures M in the face of the head.

Head [2 is heated by steam so that it is always hot during the pressing operation and the steam heat supplied in addition for heating the head is ordinarily in addition to that supplied for release through the apertures M. It is not believed to be essential or desirable to trace the path of steam through the head and from the source of supply since heads of this type vary in constructionand are well known. The heated head I2 is swung downwardly by the initial grasping of a handle I5, a continuation of the downward movement being obtained by foot pressure on a treadle, or the like, not shown; As the operator swings the head downwardly, the handle I2 is metal or other nonrusting thin sheet metal and the entire area of the :plate may be perforated swith fineholes as indicated at Its. Theholes-of =adjacent.rovvs;may Ice-staggered and punched from either side, as the case maybe, .to leave small annular projecting burrs .I'I. These'burrs I! are 1 arranged to,rest .againstlthe face of head 12 tor-provide a multitude of small transverse :channels through which steam will travel between head I2 and plate It to secure-even distribution .through holes .IBe.

'After plate It is formed asshown in Fig. 2, -..that is, either .first perforated and then formed or first formed and then perforated, the outer face is preferably treated. as by etching, sand blasting, -.alloy coating, or .-any suitable treatment indicated at I8, as in Fig. 3, that will leave the .surface of this outer .face slightly scored. Thereafter, a heterogeneous coatinglll of molten metallic globulesis deposited upon this treated :surface toprovidea Workingsurface for plate It .-.that i has .the .feel .and appearance .of. emery .cloth rangingfrom acommercialNo. A8 to .a No. 80 finish. While this rangeis specified .as suitable to accomplish .the purpose of :the .invention, .any variation .that will accomplish the .result .desired is to be-considered within the.scope of the disclosure. .It may not be necessary first to treat theouter face before applying the heterogeneous layer of metallic granules. 'This treatment is desirable, however, because .it is believed that it causes coating I smore. firmly to adhere orinter- -locktothis outer. face.

Coating 19 may be .any suitable metal, .and :suchmetals as valuminum, "bronze, brass, stainjlesssteel and Mone'l are mentioned. The thick- :ness ofjcoating I9 may also-vary,"butzis it found that thickness ranging. from .002 to .004 inch is 'quite suitable :and desirable. .In a commercial application "of this invention,.a' thickness of .025 inch was used.ifor"metal1plate I6 and the1perfo- "rating "was carried 'out to increase this thickness to '0.'31"inch at'thetips of the burrs.

I'To illustrate the heterogeneous formation takenby coating l 9,-a'micropho'tograph of'an en- "largement'o'f fifty times-of a small area thereof "hasibeen'shownin Fig. 6. The-large black spot designated t'll-represents"a perforation Hi. 'The m'olten meta'l'is preferably sprayed. The globules strike the outer face of plate "I'6at a'temperature and with aiforce causing them to assumeirregu- "lar "shapes, butadhering-where contacting each other by' welding together. The globules also adhere. firmlyftoithe'roughened:surface I8 and in- -te'rlock itherewith so "that .there will not be a stendencyiforcoating :I9:.to;1peel. 'lhe surfaces 'of thesepirregularglobules or :granules'arerelatively snot-wear in this manner.

ules will not wear through constant use of the v press plate like the burrs.

The burrs comprise in effect-'myriadsiof minute zelevated portions with fine pointed tips which tend to wear rapidly, and, in turn, cause the sur- 'face of the press plate again to become smooth.

The heterogeneous coating of metallic granules present contact surfaces with the fabric that do While the exact pattern 'of this heterogeneous coating of metallic granules is difiicult to illustrate, the enlarged cross section shown in Fig. 5 is an attempt to "show-the formation somewhat, or, at least, to show the difference between the burr formation and the formation of these granules.

Without further elaboration,.theforegoing will so fully explain the gist of .myinvention .that .others may, by applying current v.knowledge, readily adapt the .same for .use .under varying conditions of service, Without.eliminating..certain features, which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, .which items are intended to be definedand secured .to me by the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described for attachment to the face of ,a pressing .machine head including a sheet metalplate adapted to fit over theface of said headand having a, plurality of steam openings therein, and a coatingonthe outer face of said plate comprising irregularly shaped granules of metal adheringto each other by a welded relation and deposited on thearea of said plate surrounding said openings-said deposit being in multi-layer formation on said .plate and presenting a continuous but roughened working surface for said plate.

'2. Apparatus of the characterdescribed.forattachment to the face of a pressing .machine. head including a perforated plate adapted to fit .over .the face of said head but having a relatively rough surface on one side and arelatively smooth .surface on the other side, and a deposit of-globular metallic granules adhering to and covering the non-perforated area of said rough surface.

3. Apparatus of the character described for. attachment to the face of a pressing machine. head including a sheet metal plate finely perforated "and having burrs around theperforationson the face next to the head, and a deposit .of, globular metallic granules covering the non per'forated area on the outer face of said plate.

4. An element having one face -thereof comprising a pressing surfacefor a garment pressing machine, said element having small openings therein distributed across a substantial portion '5. A metal plate having one face thereof comprising a pressing surface for a garmentpressing machine, said plate having small 'openings'therein distributed across a portion of said face, and a deposit of globular metallic granulescovering the area on said 'face surroundin said openings and comprising said pressingsurface.

'6. *An element having one face thereo'f *comrprising'a pressing surface 'for a garment pressing machine, and said element havingsmall openings therein distributed across a portion of said face, an irregular multi-layer deposit of continuous globular metallic granules covering the area on said face surrounding said openings and comprising said pressing surface.

VANNEY A. RAY.

REFERENCES CITED Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Freeman Nov. 21, 1916 Ray June 23, 1931 North Sept. 12, 1933 Milazzo Jan. 25, 1944 Olson June 17, 1952 

